Transdisciplinary Online Health Assessment of an Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Community during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar

Win Thiri Kyaw, Yee Mon Myint, Xiaoxu Kuang and Masayuki Sakakibara
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Win Thiri Kyaw: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto 603-8047, Japan
Yee Mon Myint: Magway General Hospital, Magway 04011, Myanmar
Xiaoxu Kuang: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto 603-8047, Japan
Masayuki Sakakibara: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto 603-8047, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 21, 1-9

Abstract: Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has a known negative effect on the community’s health; therefore, assessment to monitor community health is essential to detect any issues and enable early treatment. Because ASGM-related health issues are complex and cannot be addressed effectively with a traditional one-time health assessment alone, both long-term and regular health assessments using a transdisciplinary approach should be considered. In response to this need, we designed an online health assessment tool as a reference for a future long-term health assessment system. An online video interview was conducted with 54 respondents living in the ASGM area of Chaung Gyi Village, Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay Region, Myanmar, via a social networking service application. The tool was used to evaluate community health during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic, including mercury intoxication symptoms, mining-related diseases, and other diseases. Results show that persons working in mining versus non-mining occupations had a greater prevalence of pulmonary diseases, such as pulmonary tuberculosis, silicosis, and bronchial asthma, in addition to malaria. Based on these findings, online health assessment using a transdisciplinary approach can be recommended as an effective tool for sustainable and long-term health assessment of ASGM-related disease and should be performed regularly following physical health surveys.

Keywords: artisanal and small-scale gold mining; online health assessment; Myanmar; coronavirus disease; mining community (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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